Wanderling's Choice

By Devon C. McLaughlin

Once upon a time there lived a farm girl named Rhiannon who dreamed of having adventures and didn’t want to get married---EVER!
So she acquired a fine horse from a mysterious trader and ran away to find that exciting life. All would have gone very well if she hadn’t been abducted by a cruel young king and kept hostage in his large castle filled with soulless servants. She has only two options for escape, marry the tyrant...or become a zombie slave.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Devon C. McLaughlin
• Release date: Dec 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9780989591041

Devon C. McLaughlin

D.C. McLaughlin, a veterinary technician from York County Pa., shares a small farm with her husband of sixteen years, three Haflinger horses, a flock of chickens, several cats, a retired greyhound and thirteen corn snakes. When not caring for the animals, she participates in historical re-enactments and studies Middle Eastern dance.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

This is what comes of wanting to have adventures! Her mind yelled at her while she ran.

Where is Falcon?

A myriad of frantic thoughts raced through her head as Rhiannon fled through the halls of the castle to the courtyard below in a flurry of silks and gems. But one thought was most important to her immediate circumstances.

She had to find her horse and get out of here.

Her words from the night before came back to haunt her.

Am I permitted to ride my horse? she had asked the king of the castle.

He had looked at her narrowly.

Rhiannon, you no longer have any need of a horse. You are not permitted to leave the castle at any time, day or night. If you do, my servants have orders to kill you. Is that understood?

Something hadn't felt quite right about the castle and now Rhi knew why.

This was no castle. It was her prison. A prison filled with servants with blank eyes, vacant of any soul whatsoever. A prison run by a jailer who called himself King Nazar.

More memories from the past few days came flooding into her mind. They did little to comfort her. They only made her feel more helpless and trapped by her situation.

Five young women had been led into the castle's sumptuous dining room where Rhi had been having dinner with King Nazar. They were all beautiful. And they each had blank faces and the same soulless eyes as the other servants.

These are some of my most precious possessions he had told her. I found five pretty birds. They were each so lovely I could not let them fly free. Something bad might happen to them. So I caught them and put them here in my golden cage where they would be safe from all harm the cruel world might do them. I gave them every little thing a bird might want. I even asked each one to marry me. And still they were not happy.

His eyes shifted to meet Rhi's gaze.

So I separated them from their souls. Now they do whatever I tell them to, whenever I tell them to do it. It doesn't matter now if they are happy or not. They're just birds, pretty to look at and play with but of no good use for anything really important other than my amusement.

His gaze held her eyes captive. They were cold and hard.

Now I have found a sixth pretty bird to add to my collection.

Her blood ran cold remembering and an icy needle of dread went through her.

She had to find Falcon. She had to find her wonderful red stallion with the white mark on his forehead that looked like a pair of wings and get out of here. She didn't even care if she could locate the saddle and bridle. She just wanted to throw a leg over his back and fly out of this damned place that held her captive.

But the stable was empty. The stalls held nothing but cobwebs, moldy bedding and dusty tack. No horse had set foot here in quite a long time.

What has Nazar done to Falcon? Has he fed him to his pet dragon?

Her lungs burned and her feet ached. She wanted to be free.

She staggered to the courtyard and fell into a helpless heap of silver fabric and glittering gems.

This is what comes of wanting to have adventures, she thought again to herself. She had ridden Falcon mere days ago before Nazar had caught her and taken her hostage in this fine prison the rest of the world called a castle.

Up until this point in her life, her horse Falcon had been the center of her world. He had given her the life and freedom she so craved. She had never known that one ride on Falcon might be the last time she would ever see her dear horse. Now he was gone she didn't know where or how. She didn't even know if he was alive or dead. What had Nazar done to him?

She should have stayed home, she thought to herself. She should have stayed a simple unpretentious farmer's daughter, married the next door neighbor's son even though she only liked him, had a farm of their own and raised a bunch of kids. It would have been better. It would have been a sure thing. It would be doing what everyone around her had expected of her.

But no, she wanted to get a horse and wander the lands just the two of them having adventures and never ever ever getting married to anyone.

Now her only escape was to do what she had been trying to avoid all her life---getting married to a man she did not want.

Was it worth it? she wondered. Was it really worth it at all?

FALCON

Rhi has turned into such a pretty young thing, hasn't she? I don't think there's another girl rich or poor around here half as beautiful as she. You must be so proud of her, their neighbor was saying. She and Brody are going to make such pretty babies when they get married.

Rhiannon nearly dropped her basket of laundry. With an effort, she forced herself to continue with her chore, being careful to keep the sheets between them so no one would know she had been listening.

Brody was their neighbor's son down the lane. Rhi had known him since they both were toddlers. They had been playmates all through their childhood. She liked him plenty---but not like that! He seemed more like one of her brothers. How could they possibly think they were lovers?

Yes, they will, if he would just hurry up and ask her. She's getting rather old. Just imagine a seventeen-year old lass that's unmarried! Another couple of years and people will start calling her an old maid! her mother replied and the two older women laughed like hens clucking over some juicy tidbit.

Rhi emptied her basket of laundry as quickly as she could then hurried around the corner of the chicken shed and sat down. She felt like an old horse who had galloped up a very steep hill. Her chest was tight and it was hard to breathe.

How dare they! was all she could think. She had no idea people thought of her in this manner. Here she was barely an adult and everyone already had her life all planned out for her. The last thing Rhi wanted was to live her life according to everyone's preconceived expectations. No one had even asked her what she wanted.

She didn't even like Brody, not in the romantic sense at least. How dare they!

Rhi pulled herself to her feet and staggered over to the nearest paddock fence. She stared out at the scene before her. Bessie the family cow grazed contentedly on the long grass as it waved in the wind while the cow's calf gamboled beside her mother in the summer sun. Such a sight had always made Rhi feel free and happy before. Now she felt like the paddock rails were holding more than Bessie and the calf. The fence caged Rhi as well.

I know what you're thinking!

Rhi jumped in fright as her younger sister's voice piped up from her elbow.

You're dreaming of Brody aren't you?

Rhi's eyes narrowed and she frowned.

Not even close, she growled in a low voice.

She spun on her heel and stalked away.

This was how it had all started. Her parents were planning on marrying her off to Brody. No one asked her, it was just assumed it would happen.

But Rhi wanted more, so much more than marriage and children.

Her mother had dowry money set aside for each of the girls when they got married. She had stashed it in a large tin kept high up in the eaves of the house with their names on each. The next morning Rhi awoke before the rest of her family stirred, took her dowry money and headed down the road away from the farm. Her family used this road to go to market.

But she wasn't going to market.

She instead went to the horse fair three miles in the other direction.

The horse fair happened every seven-day. It was held on the top of a hill called Stallion's Bluff. People came from far and wide to buy and sell horses of all sizes and types. Rhi had loved coming here as a child.

But that was a long time ago. And Rhi knew the difference now between a cart horse, a plow horse, a work horse and a merchant, or messenger horse. She could also tell the difference between a good buy and a slick deal.

Rhi walked through the gates and took a moment to catch her breath and take in the sights. There were horses everywhere and people wheeling and dealing. The air was thick with the smell of manure and fresh hay and the squeals and neighs of frightened or excited horses.

The first thing Rhi noticed wasn't a particular horse but a man, a small, thin man leaning up against a carriage. He was dressed all in brown and green and wore a great, floppy hat on his head. His face was weather-beaten and lined so his age was difficult to guess. He seemed to be much older than Rhi. He smiled at her from a mouth a bit too wide and his eyes looked old and sad.

His sad eyes sparkled at her. Sweeping his great hat off his head, he bowed and nodded a greeting to her.

A man then led two great dray horses between them and when Rhi looked again, he was gone from sight as if he had never been.

'Well that was odd,' she thought to herself, then shook the memory out of her head. In the next moment she had forgotten all about it.

She continued on in her search.

It seemed to Rhi she must have spoken to every horse dealer there. They all knew of her family and tried to sell her old, plow horses no matter how much she told them she didn't want a work horse.

Frustrated and steamed, because the day had turned hot, she sat down on a stump in the sun since all the shade was taken, to eat her meager lunch. Suddenly her bench was shielded by a welcoming, cool shadow.

She looked up to see the man who had first nodded to her. He had removed his great, floppy hat and was holding it out to shade her, revealing his lank, blonde hair.

Pardon me, lass, but it is too hot a day for a miss as pretty as you to eat in the sun, he said.

His accent was one she had never heard before.

The horses need the shade more. But thank I you for your kind offer, she replied.

You did not bring anything to drink? he asked.